Soup
by Jooles34
Summary: A little bit of Janto fluffiness to warm up a cold day. Going to add my random Janto fluffs as chapters here rather than new stories each time. All separate, all Janto. Some silly fluff, some meant as tender fluff.
1. Soup

Jack was unexpectedly cheerful as he bustled around the little kitchen area.

He grinned to himself. A silly little childish grin of happiness. He might even start humming.

He tried. No, he couldn't pull off humming.

He continued to bimble happily around the kitchen for twenty minutes longer than it would have taken anyone else.

When he was finally done he placed a cup of tea on a tray next to a bowl of soup and some buttered bread, lovingly cut up into wonky soldiers. He didn't even seem to notice the trail of devastation that now surrounded him in the little kitchen.

Turning his back on the wrecked kitchenette he headed towards his office. He placed the tray down on the floor next to the little hatch and climbed down the ladder. Stopping on the bottom rung he turned and reached his hands up, carefully lifting the tray and lowering it into his little room.

He turned then and walked towards the figure in the bed, offering the tray out in front of him.

Ianto stirred, his red, watery eyes blinking. His cold ravished nose was as red as his eyes, and his hair was all mussed up from sleeping. Jack started to beam again. Poorly Ianto was just too cute for words.

"Jack," Ianto said in horror when he saw the tray, "What hab you done'd?"

Oh, even his angry voice was cuter with a cold.

"I made you sweet tea and soup. Because you're not well. That's what people do when someone's not well isn't it. Isn't it?"

Ianto saw the happiness in Jack's eyes turn to doubt and uncertainty. Ianto wanted to tell Jack off for fussing. He wanted to enquire as to how badly his little kitchen had been broken by Jack's attempt at domesticity. He wanted to say he'd still rather have a coffee. But this clearly meant a lot to Jack. He bit his tongue.

He gave Jack the illest and most wan looking smile he could manage. "Yes Jack. Fank you." If this made Jack happy he'd play along.

The grin returned to Jack's face, and sitting on the bed he placed the tray on Ianto's lap.

Ianto remained silent and tried not to roll his eyes as Jack started to spoon soup into his mouth.


	2. Treats

_**AN**__ Another silly (sillier than normal) little fluffy one-shot while I finish ironing out the wrinkles in the other fics I'm trying to complete. They will be posted soon, promise._

_~Huge thank you to everyone for your reviews, favourites and alerts. Really, thank you. I hope my stories continue to be worth your while to read. Except this one, which probably isn't...~_

_Torchwood is still not mine, once again just playing with the boys for fun._

Jack watched Ianto walk through the cog wheel carrying bags of shopping. He leapt out of his chair and ran down the stairs into the otherwise empty Hub, following Ianto into the kitchen.

Jack hovered around the young Welshman as he unpacked the shopping. Ianto tried to keep his expression neutral as Jack followed his every move like an over-excited child.

He watched packets of coffee go into cupboards. Lots of different types of coffee. Including a packet of de-caff. Hang on. De-caff?

He shook off the distraction and continued to track Ianto's movements. A packet of hobnobs went into a cupboard, followed buy rich tea, ginger nuts and chocolate chip cookies. Jack's brow wrinkled. How come he'd never seen chocolate chip cookies before? His lips set into a hard line as he scowled. Gwen.

Ignoring that diversion too Jack continued to follow Ianto around, peering over his shoulder. He now watched cleaning materials go into a low cupboard. Jack was getting more and more frustrated as the shopping bags were quickly and efficiently emptied. He bounced up and down on the balls of feet in anticipation as Ianto got to the end of each bag, and neatly folded the bags away and stowed them in a drawer.

Ianto turned around. He looked at Jack with an expressionless face. Jack looked at him eagerly. Ianto raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry. Is there something you need Sir?"

"Is that it? Is that everything you bought?"

"Yes Sir. Did I forget something?"

Jack's face fell. "Oh no, nothing." Ianto gave a polite nod, his face still straight, but didn't make any move to leave.

"Sooo, there's nothing else I can get you?"

Jack shook his head miserably.

"Not even this?" Ianto's mouth quirked into a grin as he pulled Jack's favourite chocolate bar out of his pocket.

Jack's eyes lit up as he took it out of a laughing Ianto's hand and tore open the wrapper.

Ianto knew his Captain loved a little chocolaty treat, but never liked to ask. He watched Jack with a contented smile, knowing he had made him happy. Happy for just for a minute in a world where everything could change in a second.

Ianto also knew what other treats Jack liked and with a devilish grin he grabbed Jack by the belt and pulled him close.

Jack actually dropped is chocolate bar in surprise.

_**AN**__ – hmm. That last line sounded cuter in my head than I think it came out. Any suggestions good reader?_

_And I know, I seem to make Jack oddly child-like and puppyish in my fluff. Sorry 'bout that._


	3. Mud

_**AN**__ - Another very silly one-shot. Enjoy._

_Part one of Vortex Manipulated finally up now though if you fancy a story with a bit more edge. _

You could cut the tension in the SUV with a knife.

Jack was driving. A few minutes ago his eyes had been alive with laughter. But he had quickly realised that laughter was going to get him into even more trouble. He now wore a truly apologetic look.

He glanced across at the stoney faced young man in the passenger seat and wondered how long this silence would last.

Jack kept driving, stealing the occasional look to his left.

Glance. Charcoal grey suit. Liberally splattered in dark mud.

Glance. Red shirt sporting a darker red tie; pattern now obscured by the same dark mud.

Glance. Smooth, beautiful face. Streaked now from where Jack had ineffectually tried to wipe off dark mud.

Glance. Stomach-flip-inducing blue eyes. Scowling and staring dead ahead.

Glance. Normally perfect dark brown hair; now mussy and streaked with dark mud.

At that moment a blob of said mud dripped down a strand of hair and landed with a gentle splott on Ianto's cheek.

Jack's lip started to twitch into a smile.

"Don't. Even. Think it." Growled the low Welsh voice in warning.

Jack studiously stopped the grin in its tracks.

"I really am sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?"

More deafening silence greeted him.

Jack suggested something that he could do to make it up to Ianto. He saw the young man's eyebrow twitch.

Jack suggested something else and the eyebrow definitely arched. But Ianto remained silent.

Jack pondered for a moment. Taking a bit longer with his description he suggested something else.

Ianto started to blush and shift in his seat.

"Well get a bloody move on and drive quicker then."

Jack allowed himself to grin properly and put his foot to the floor.


	4. Night Drives

_AN – Torchwood and the boys still not mine. Dammit._

Ianto took Jack his third cup of coffee of the day. Where there was normally a big smile for him, today, for the third time, it was just a small, half smile.

Ianto knew Jack's smiles well; he had had time to learn them. He had learnt the difference between "lecherous, but save it for later" and "lecherous, better run if you don't want to get pounced on" and "lecherous and going to get pounced on even if do you run."

He had learnt "fake smile", "pleased to see you but busy" smile, and "I don't know you but want to get you to do something for me" smile.

But this was a new smile. It clearly said "I'm pleased to see you" but it was saying something more. There was a sadness in the smile. Like something was missing.

Ianto spent the rest of the day watching Jack. Watching him smile to the others, reading his smiles to him, and more importantly, watching him stare off into space when he thought no-one was looking.

By the end of day Ianto knew what that smile meant too.

******

"Jack." The captain looked up at the gentle sound of Ianto's voice to see the young man standing in the doorway. Meeting his eye Ianto headed across the office and picked up Jack's coat.

"Come on Jack." Ianto said, motioning towards the door with his head.

"I have stuff to do Ianto." Jack said, and used that smile again.

"It wasn't a request." Ianto's voice didn't change from that soft gentle tone despite the harshness of the words.

"Come on. Please?" Jack sighed. Whatever this was it clearly meant a lot to him. He pushed his own thoughts out of his mind and stood, moving to join Ianto at the door.

With his own coat already on, Ianto helped Jack into his, then turned and walked through the Hub towards the underground car park. Silently, curiously, Jack followed.

At Ianto's indication Jack climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV, while Ianto slid behind the wheel. The engine roared into life and the car pulled out of the garage and into the dark night.

Sensing that he wasn't going to get much conversation out of Ianto during the drive to wherever they were going, Jack leaned his head against the cold glass of the window and stared out into the night. The wistful expression that settled itself onto Jack's face was all the confirmation Ianto needed.

Ianto drove them for more than an hour. Most of it in companionable silence. Jack had gazed out of the window, watching the city pass by, then the suburbs, then the darker roads of the smaller towns, until now they were on unlit roads seemingly headed for nowhere.

"Where _are_ we going?" Jack finally turned to ask Ianto.

"We're nearly there." was his only reply.

Driving a little further, Ianto pulled the 4x4 off the main road and onto a narrow track, that became rougher and bumpier the more the travelled along it. They were truly driving into nothing. The headlights of the SUV picked up the odd startled rabbit bouncing in front of them, but other than that there were no signs of life for miles. It was almost totally black.

After a little while the bouncing stopped and Ianto turned off the engine, killing the lights and stepped gracefully out of the car.

Jack copied him and met the young man standing in front of the bonnet. He looked at him again.

"Where are we Ianto? And why are we here?"

"Look up Jack." came the soft reply.

Jack looked up and gasped.

The sky was awash with stars. The shone and twinkled and seemed to dance in the air for him. There were so many lights in Cardiff and in the towns, that they hid all but the brightest stars. But here, here in the middle of nowhere, there were no lights to hide the sky, save the fiery balls of rock looking down at him now.

"I know you miss them." The soft voice said next to him.

"Oh thank you. Thank you Ianto." Jack breathed, taking in the full wonder of the heavens above him. The heavens he had once travelled in.

"I'll wait in the car."

"No Ianto; please stay. Please share the stars with me."

Jack was rewarded with a small, grateful smile in the darkness. Jack hoisted himself onto the bonnet of the SUV and Ianto climbed up beside him.

Jack lay back, legs dangling over the front grill and clasping his hands behind his head, rested on them. Ianto lay down next to him, pillowing his head on Jack's bent arm.

They lay together, coats protecting them from the chilled night air while Jack lost himself in thoughts of stars and Ianto lost himself in thoughts of Jack.


	5. Eight Smiles of Captain Jack Harkness

_**AN**__ - This is written for __gernumblies who suggested a smile fic from the mentions of Jack's smiles in _Night Drives_. Thank you for planting the idea and I hope you like it. Reviews are loved and suggestions are always welcome._

Eight smiles of Captain Jack Harkness

Ianto knew all of Jack's smiles. He knew what they all meant. It was his job to know everything about Torchwood, but it was his pleasure to know everything about Jack.

He hadn't stayed with Jack the night before, and as he walked through the cog wheel door in the morning, Jack was already out of his office, smiling at him. This smile meant "it's good to see you Ianto" and was subtly different to the "it's good to see you" smile that his colleges received when they walked through the door.

When Ianto took Jack his coffee after an argumentative phone call with UNIT, he received a "perfect, just what I needed, thank you" smile.

Later, as Ianto watched Jack being flirted with by a pretty girl at the site of an artefact find, he saw Jack's "yes, you're cute, but not as cute as my boy" smile. Ianto allowed himself his own smile then.

Turning around after bending over to pick up a dropped file, Ianto immediately recognised Jack's "lecherous, but save it for later" smile. When he 'accidentally' brushed his body against Jack's to put the errant file away he saw the smile turn into his "lecherous, better run if you don't want to get pounced on" smile. Ianto fled.

At the end of the day, after everyone had finally left, Jack appeared behind Ianto at his work station, wearing his "lecherous and going to get pounced on even if do you run" smile. Ianto allowed himself to be pulled into that smile.

Some time later, wrapped naked and satisfied in Jack's arms, Ianto looked up and saw Jack smile.

Ianto knew what this smile meant too, even if Jack could never say the words.


	6. Eight Mistakes of Captain Jack Harkness

_**AN**__ – thank thank thank you all for your kind reviews, and to anyone who alerts me or my stories. Your comments are so lovely, and I appreciate you taking the time to make them._

_This one is __**very**__ silly._

"Jack." There was a warning tone in Ianto's voice which Jack chose to ignore.

That was his first mistake.

He continued to pack down the snowball in his hands, despite the stern expression being levelled at him.

That was his second mistake.

He threw the snowball forwards, watching it arc in the air before coming to rest on Ianto's head, exploding on impact.

That was his third mistake.

His fourth mistake was laughing as cold snow showered the young man's face and disappeared down the back of his collar.

Jack took a step back as an annoyed Ianto walked towards him.

And, that was his fifth mistake.

He laughed as Ianto continued his deliberate walk towards him and allowed himself to be crowded back underneath a tree.

Another mistake.

He failed to comprehend what Ianto was doing when the young man reached up and grabbed the splayed tree branch above his head.

That was his seventh mistake.

His biggest mistake was ever underestimating Ianto, as he suddenly found himself covered in all the snow that the large branch had been previously bowed under with.

A second before his vision was totally obscured by the cold, wet snow, Jack thought he saw Ianto grinning.

He wasn't mistaken.

_AN – Before I got sensible and started collecting my Janto one-shots together, I posted a couple more individually. If you like the chapters here you may like _Boiler Room_, _Right Side of the Bed_ and _Pushing_. You can find them on my profile. _

_If anyone is waiting for a _Vortex Manipulated_ update, I promise it is coming…_

_Have a Janto Christmas. Jooles_


	7. Happy New Year Ianto Jones

_**AN**__ – Thank you again for all the lovely reviews and comments and for the alerts._

_Timeline wise for this one, think just after Out of Time, but without the angsty stuff._

Ianto and Owen supported Jack's weight between them as the invisible lift made its way down into the Hub, his arms around each of their shoulders.

The slight jolt as it came to rest caused Jack to lose his balance and tip forward. Owen pressed a hand to their captain's chest to stop him falling.

Jack looked up and him and blinked slowly.

"Fanks." he slurred. He screwed up his eyes and stared closely at the doctor. "You're great. D'ya know that Owen? I think you're great." Jack swung his attention to Ianto now, nearly knocking all three of them off balance. "You're great too. You've got a fantastic ass." Ianto blushed and Jack started to nod his head in a determined manner. "And Tosh is great too. And Gwen's great." He giggled girlishly, and unwrapping his arm from around Owen's neck he put a finger to his lips. "She fancies me you know. _Really_ fancies me. But shhhh….it's a secret."

Owen and Ianto both rolled their eyes and looped Jack's arm back over Owen. They moved slowly, crossing the Hub and taking Jack into his office. It was barely gone 10 when the team had realised why Jack normally only drank water on their nights out together.

Reaching Jack's office, Ianto transferred the still giggling man's weight to Owen and climbed down into Jack's sleeping quarters. Owen then helped Jack onto the ladder and held him from above while Ianto supported him from below.

Once at the bottom Ianto threw Jack none too gently onto the bed. He would probably pay for that later. Jack landed on his back and within a second his eyes were shut, his mouth was open and he was snoring.

Owen gave him a look of distain through the hole in the floor. Ianto glanced up and caught the look. He sighed.

"Don't worry Owen, you go back and join the girls. Enjoy your night. I'll stay and sort him out."

Owen didn't need telling twice and with a broad smile he jogged out of the Hub.

Ianto turned to look at Jack's sprawled form, hands on hips.

"You didn't need to say that about my arse."

Jack's eyes flew open and a broad grin spread across his face. "Oh, I think I did."

He lifted himself up so that he was leaning back on his elbows looking at Ianto. "Do they really think that I would get _that_ drunk _that_ quickly?"

"They clearly don't hold you in very high regard Sir."

Jack raised his eyebrows to the sarcasm. "Oh? And exactly where do you hold me Mr Jones?"

Ianto grinned wolfishly as he lifted his hands to tug off his tie, "From behind with any luck."

Jack sat up suddenly and reaching forwards he grabbed Ianto around the waist, pulling him down onto the bed on top of him. Ianto hid his gasp of surprise behind a bark of laughter and let his mouth find Jack's.

Pausing the kiss, Jack whispered against his lover's mouth.

"Happy New Year Ianto Jones."

_**AN**__ - Happy New Year you lovely lot of readers, you._

_Jooles_


	8. That Man, That Smile

_**AN**__ – I managed an actual dead-on-100-words drabble! Go me!_

_Written for a story challenge on LJ – prompt "A Bay" (handy eh?)_

His body ached. His heart ached.

He'd watched _Him_ die again.

"Quick trip to the country," _He'd_ said, "pick up stolen alien tech. Easy" And _that_ smile that would make him do anything. Follow _Him_ anywhere.

Slumped against the car door he studied _Him_ behind the wheel; alive, revived, good as new. While he remained bruised and broken.

He received a concerned look, then _that_ man with _that_ smile pointed out of the window.

"Look Ianto. It's the Bay. We're home."

Home for now maybe, but he'd follow _that_ smile to hell and back as many times as it asked.


	9. A Fish and Chip Supper

_**AN**__ – This is very silly and utterly pointless, but it wrote itself so I had to share._

_This comes from a mildly hysterical conversation with a lovely new friend I met and inadvertently introduced the concept of mushy peas to today. All the good ideas in here are hers; I have just strung them together and given them to the boys to play with._

Ianto was leaning on the railings looking out over the Bay as Jack walked towards him carrying two packets of hot fish and chips.

Taking the food gratefully Ianto unwrapped the paper and stopped.

"What's this?" he asked, poking suspiciously at a green mess sprawled over half the chips.

"They're mushy peas Ianto."

"I know what they are Jack, but what are they doing on my dinner?"

"It's traditional to have mushy peas with your fish and chips from a chippy."

"It may be tradition, but I don't like them."

"Why not? You like peas. I've seen you eat them."

"Yes, but mushy peas are just wrong."

"Wrong how?"

Ianto sighed. "Peas are one of those perfect foods. Everything you want in all contained in one neat little package; no mess, no waste. Who thought it would be a good idea to take that and make them all mushy and messy?"

"Oh. That was the Doctor."

"What?" Ianto asked as patiently as he could.

Jack shrugged; "He got frustrated with the peas always rolling off the paper, so he popped back in the Tardis, had a word in the right ears about mushing them up a bit and…" Jack finished the thought by waving his little wooden fork in the air.

Ianto stared at him, one sceptical eyebrow raised.

"What? You really thought a human came up with them? Never. Too simple."

Ianto snorted and turned away.

Jack laughed. "Just eat your peas. They're good for you."

_**AN**__ – By the way, if anyone has any ideas for any more "Eight…of Captain Jack Harkness", please throw them my way and I'll try and write them for you._

_Jooles _


	10. Happy Easter Ianto Jones

_**AN**__ – Another drabble. Go me eh?_

_This is to wish a happy Easter to everyone who reads my fics, alerts and favourites me and especially to those who take the time to review. This little bit of Easter naughtiness is for you._

Ianto moved around the empty Hub, quietly completing his own end of day routine.

Jack's voice rang through Ianto's earpiece, cutting through his reverie.

"Come to the hot house. I've got an Easter egg for you."

Following the voice up the stairs Ianto found Jack lying sprawled on a blanket on the floor, wearing a broad grin and not an awful lot else.

Ianto studied him for a quiet moment, hands on hips, face resolutely giving nothing away.

"It's not really an egg any more is it Sir?"

"It melted." came the innocent reply.

"In very strategic places I see…"


	11. Strike a Pose

_**AN**__ – One-shot written for a challenge; prompt was "a waiting room". All reviews and comments loved as ever. _

It had been a pretty long and difficult day.

They had spent the morning convincing a small delegate from the Farcadan constellation that Earth, more specifically Cardiff, was not the place to start investigating for the site of a new intergalactic service station. Well, not this century anyway.

This had been followed by some time running around the less salubrious parts of the city after a couple of adolescent male weevils who appeared to be fighting for dominance. However, they weren't fighting each other. Oh, no, that would be too easy. Instead they had both surfaced and were fighting anyone, or anything, they could get their hands on. Fortunately no-one had been killed, though there were a couple of members of the public now receiving treatment from the NHS's finest and at least one ornamental hedge was never going to be the same again.

Gwen was still at the police station trying to calm some of the local officers down and make sure that all the police reports would say the right things. Or maybe just disappear altogether.

Jack and Ianto had left her to it to return to the Hub for Jack's weekly scheduled phone call with the Prime Minister. Jack had tried arguing that dealing with the police was more important, but as the others knew, Jack hated dealing with the police only marginally less than he hated dealing with Whitehall so his protests had been ignored.

Once back at the Hub the phone call had, not unexpectedly, not gone well and after a few minutes Ianto, once again, had been forced to interrupt. Taking the phone from Jack he had spent the next half an hour trying to smooth things over again. Ianto often thought that maybe he should just make the phone calls to begin with, but if he did then Jack would never learn. Not that Jack was likely to learn anyway.

And so, Ianto sat, exhausted, on the battered old sofa, his head tipped back. He was trying not to watch Jack as the older man bounded towards him.

"Right then Ianto! There's no more phone calls to make, all the weevils are back where they should be, the rift monitor says all is calm until tomorrow and I've just called Gwen and told her to go straight home from the police station. What shall we do with our evening?"

"Sleep Jack. We shall sleep with our evening. Maybe have some dinner first, but mainly sleep."

"Oh come on. No one just wants to sleep when they're with me. You'll have me thinking I'm losing my touch." Jack was practically bouncing from foot to foot in front of Ianto.

Ianto finally lifted his head. "You're in one of _those_ moods aren't you?"

Jack pouted at him. "What do you mean?"

"One of those 'excited like a puppy dog' moods you get into. It's characterised by bouncing and terrible innuendo."

"There's only one bone I want to play with." Jack smirked.

"It's also very annoying." Ianto let his head fall back again.

Jack stopped bouncing and threw himself down onto the sofa next to Ianto. He leant back and tilted his head so it was turned towards the young Welshman.

"You find me annoying?"

"Yes." answered Ianto, but couldn't stop a small grin sliding unbidden onto his face.

"You really call it my 'excited puppy dog' mood?"

"Yes."

Jack leapt up again, his game over. "So what to you normally do to get me out of it?"

Ianto sighed and lifted his head. "I normally go along with whatever insane idea you think up until you get it out of your system and calm down."

Jack suddenly stood very still. "You do that? You do that for me?"

"I can't help but indulge you Jack." A genuine smile of affection crossed Ianto's lips and this time he did nothing to try and stop it.

Jack studied him for a second. It seemed sometimes that he discovered an extra layer to this man every day. Then the puppy dog took over again and he grin was back in place.

"So you gonna indulge me tonight?"

"It appears that way yes. But I really am very tired, so can you make it something not too strenuous?"

Jack paused and thought for a second. "How about photography?"

Ianto raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You know. It's been a while since we had some fun with a camera. We could do some arty shots. Life shots. That way all you have to do is lie there and took pretty." The grin turned lecherous. "And you are definitely very good at that."

Once more Ianto found Jack's enthusiasm and grin infectious and before he knew it he was smiling too.

"Alright then. You get the camera and I'll get ready."

With a final bounce Jack took off towards his office to get his camera.

"I'm assuming I won't be needing clothes for this?" Ianto called after him.

"Not all of them." Jack threw back over his shoulder.

Ianto shook his head in resignation, but damn Jack, he couldn't budge the reluctant smile from his face. He leant forward and took off his shoes, placing them neatly by the end of the sofa, socks tucked inside. Standing, he pushed the small coffee table to one side creating a free space in front of the sofa.

Then he removed his jacket and waistcoat and lay them carefully over the arm of the sofa. He loosened his tie, pulling it over his head without undoing the knot and put it down on the seat. Removing his shirt and trousers he placed them with the jacket and waistcoat. Picking up his tie he slipped it back over his head, tightening the knot just under the hollow of his throat.

Jack dashed back from his office, camera in hand, in time to see Ianto turn to face him. He stopped short. Hell, this had been a good idea. Ianto looked amazing in just tight black boxers and his red silk tie. Oh, this was going to be a good night.

Jack started to move again, but slower now; approaching Ianto in an almost predatory fashion.

"Lie down." he instructed.

Ianto complied and spread himself out on the sofa. Jack stood in front of him and, raising the camera, took a couple of shots.

"Change position." Jack ordered. Ianto obliged turning his torso towards Jack and arching his back. Jack clicked the camera again.

"Move again." Once more Ianto did as instructed, dropping one foot to the floor and raising his other knee up he threw his head back. He heard the camera click a couple more times. This time he didn't need to be told and he changed position before Jack could speak.

They carried on like this, the fake shutter sound of the digital camera the only sound in the room. Ianto started to enjoy himself, pulling more and more extravagant poses. Suddenly feeling playful he started posing like a macho man, standing up and flexing his muscles, pulling shapes with his body the way body builders did.

Jack laughed at him and carried on taking pictures. Ianto laughed with him, suddenly feeling better than he had done all day. He was having fun; just him and Jack, playing, messing around, being normal.

Ianto jumped up onto to the sofa and continued his posing. He leapt up onto the arm of the sofa, placing his other foot onto the low back, one hand on his hip, the other arm extended in the air as if he was claiming victory over defeating the sofa….

…That was when the cogwheel door had opened and Gwen had strolled through calling out; "Left some stuff here, had to come back for it."

With a startled yelp Ianto had lost his balance and fallen heavily to the floor, arms wind-milling in an uncharacteristically ungainly manner. His head had connected smartly with the edge of the coffee table on the way down.

And that was why Ianto was now sitting in the waiting room at St Helen's A&E, gauze pressed to his head, trying to think of a suitable story to tell the doctors and harbouring evil thoughts about castrating puppy dogs.


	12. Comb

_**AN**__ – A random drabble from random idea; not sure if it's worked..._

The day had been too long and tiring to risk groping, so Ianto had insisted on showering separately.

Having taken his turn first he stood in front of the mirror carefully combing his hair, towel around his middle, as Jack stepped out of the steamy cubicle.

Just because the suit was off didn't mean he had to look messy; even if Jack did like it.

Jack grinned as he walked past Ianto and ruffled his hair. Ianto scowled at the retreating reflection bringing the comb back to his head.

Pausing he lowered the comb. He'd let Jack win this one.


	13. Big Red Bow

Ianto, as usual, was finishing clearing up the messes left by the team.

Jack stuck his head out of his office.

"Ianto!" he called, scanning the Hub. He dropped his voice a little, unusually subtle. "Have the others gone? I've got a present for you."

"Present?" asked Ianto, looking up with interest.

A wide grin spread across Jack's face and he waggled a hockey stick decorated with a big red bow out of the door.

Ianto tried to roll his eyes and look exasperated, but couldn't hide the excited grin that crossed his face as he raced towards the office.


	14. Who's Your Daddy?

__**_AN _**_– A small drabble written for the prompt "Jack and Ianto are out on a date, and a little kid sees them and asks questions." from __kausingkayn]_

"You're kissing."

The small voice made Ianto pull back from Jack and spin around.

"Yes, we're kissing." said Jack softly to the small child standing staring at them.

"You're both men. Men shouldn't kiss."

"No? Who do you kiss?"

"My Mummy and my Daddy."

"And why do you kiss them?"

"Because I love them."

"So, if that's why you kiss someone, can you see it's okay for two men to kiss too?"

The kid considered Jack for a moment, while Ianto watched them both.

"So are you his Daddy?"

Jack grinned broadly, his response silenced by a kick from Ianto.


	15. Eight Pairs of Braces of Captain Jack

_**AN -**__ This is part of my very loose "eight things" series which includes Eight Smiles of Captain Jack Harkness and Eight Mistakes of Captain Jack Harkness. You don't need to read those first for this to make sense though. _

_It was written for __Ianto'sCoffeeGirl_ _who gave me the prompt of "braces". Any other eight things prompts are more than welcome!_

Ianto has a lot of ties. He doesn't deny this. He likes ties. He has different ties for different suits, different shirts, different looks, depending on what he is doing that day.

Jack on the other hand does not. In fact his entire wardrobe is fairly limited. Most of his shirts are varying degrees of blue (with the odd unfortunate seafoam-green one thrown in), so a variety of anything is not needed.

Which is why Ianto was confused by Jack's braces for so long. But he understands it now.

Jack has eight pairs of braces and they all have very definite meanings. Some Ianto understands, some he doesn't. But he tries.

The first pair is a pale cream colour. Jack wears these on the days after the nightmares have been bad. The days when he doesn't want to be Captain Jack, the hero; the days he doesn't want any colour in his life; the days when he wants to disappear quietly into the background, but knows that he will never be allowed to do that.

The pale blue pair were Jack's "I mean business" braces. He would wear them the days he had meetings with Unit or other people he felt he should be proper around. Ianto didn't quite understand this, blue braces with his routine blue shirts didn't make him appear anymore professional than any other colours. But Jack wasn't to be deterred. It was a habit now and that's just what the blue braces were for. Ianto assumed there was a reason lost in the time before he arrived in Jack's life.

It took Ianto a long time to see the pattern behind the black pair, but he finally figured it out. The black pair were worn on anniversaries, to quietly remember those that Jack had lost. Ianto didn't always know the person in Jack's mind the days the black braces came out, and he didn't like to ask. It saddened Ianto how often the black braces were worn, but it also gave him a strange sort of comfort. It meant that Jack really never did forget. Ianto took quiet satisfaction in knowing that one day he would have his own black braces day.

Ianto had no idea where the yellow braces had come from or why Jack had decided to keep them. But he knew why Jack wore them on the rare occasions he did; because Ianto hated them. Ianto had hated them from the first moment he had seen them hanging in the wardrobe. Ianto hated them even more when Jack put them on to tease him. Ianto continued to hate them every time Jack got into one of his mischievous moods and put them on just to get a reaction from him. And Ianto hated how much it meant to him every time Jack did it.

Then there were the novelty Christmas braces, full of images of mooning Santas. The less said about them the better. Thank god it was just once a year.

The pink pair confused him the most. Ianto had never seen Jack wear them, could not imagine why he kept them and had never got a satisfactory answer from Jack about where they came from. Ianto hated these most of all because they served to remind Ianto of how much he didn't know about Jack and how much he would never know.

The last pair of braces that Ianto had discovered in Jack's wardrobe were the leather ones. These were special because only Ianto saw these ones now. They were not for public eyes. And that made Ianto feel special. But they weren't his favourite.

No, the red pair were Ianto's favourite. The red braces promised nights of hot, sweaty, naked fun. But that's not why Ianto loved them. He loved them because of what they meant for Jack. Jack wore the red braces on the days were he had woken free from the memories of dead lovers, free from the nightmares, free from secrets, free to be himself. Those few days where Jack could dress guilt and pain free, just ready and happy to share his life with the living. And those days made Ianto feel so alive.


	16. Eight Presents Jack Gave Ianto

**Eight Christmas presents from Captain Jack Harkness to Ianto Jones.**

Ianto woke to movement in the bed.

"Mmm. Whaz going on?" he mumbled at the source of the disturbance.

"Teeny rift spike. Probably nothing. I'll go check it out and I'll be straight back." Jack answered, stepping into his trousers.

"I'll come with you." Ianto muttered into his pillow, his eyes closing again of their own accord.

Jack laughed. "It's fine, really. It looks too small for anything to have come through, but I should check. I'll call you if I need back up."

Ianto felt he should argue some more but an errant toe outside the duvet told him how cold it was and the darkness in the room told him how late/early it was and argument left him.

"'Kay." Ianto rolled over and cracked open an eye, watching Jack dress. He watched as, nearly ready, Jack threaded his holster onto his trousers and reached for his Webley.

"Sure you'll be okay?"

"I'm sure. Go back to sleep. I'll call if I need you." And with that he walked from the room. Ianto heard noises that indicated a coat being grabbed, a room being whirled around for whatever else he had left lying in places they didn't belong, and finally the front door opening and clicking shut again.

Ianto closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

Within half an hour it was evident that sleep was eluding him and that now he was awake, he was just very much awake. And restless. Really restless.

With a sigh he stood before quickly reaching to grab the duvet and wrapping it around himself. He wandered through to the lounge, duvet trailing behind him like a bizarre cushioned train. Standing in the doorway he surveyed the room. The Christmas tree twinkled in the corner. Jack had put the lights back on before he left it seemed. Ianto smiled. He smiled even more when he noticed a stack of wrapped presents under the tree.

He wandered over and plopped himself down next to them. A note on top of the pile read; _'I know there's now way you've gone back to sleep, so why don't you open these and you can thank me when I get back.'_

Ianto grinned. He didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed one of the parcels and tore into the paper. Sitting here alone in the half dark, pulling at paper took him back to his childhood. In his memory Rhi would come and join him any minute, tell him off for openening the presents in the middle of the night, then sit down and join him.

He rolled his eyes as the paper fell away, all thoughts of childhood gone. A remote controlled vibrating butt plug. Yes, thank you Jack. Merry Christmas.

A long slim parcel was next. Ianto had a pretty good idea what this one was, but he was no less pleased for knowing. His fingers caressed smooth silk of the deep purple tie as he pulled it from the box. The box had lain on top of another flatter present so he opened that next, again not surprised with the contents. The shirt was thick and luxurious, the fine material, clearly expensive. It was just a couple of shades lighter than the tie and the pair matched perfectly.

Ianto smiled as he looked at them. Jack may dress the same way everyday, but he really did have good taste. And he knew what he liked. And he knew what Ianto liked.

As he thought this Ianto idly reached forward for another small wrapped package. Tearing off the paper he revealed a small black jewellery box. Knowing he was unlikely to get anything like a necklace or bracelet from Jack, Ianto again had a pretty good idea what would be in the box. But a man like him in this line of work could never have too many pairs of cufflinks so he was pleased.

He opened the box and found himself laughing out loud. He pulled out one of the cuff links to get a better view of it. Each one was a mini set of handcuffs, so that threaded through the button hole there was a 'bracelet' on each side of the shirt cuff. He dropped the cufflink back into the box, a smile still in his face. They brought back some fun memories and he thought he could have a lot of fun wearing them for Jack.

He paused for a second, before moving onto the next present sitting under the tree for him. It was lumpy and bumpy and Ianto's forehead wrinkled in confusion. Pulling off the paper he was surprised when a lump of coal, a Satsuma and a walnut fell into his lap. They made him smile again and shake his head.

This was so Jack. During his time on Earth he'd picked up little traditions, little rituals, but even after all these years sometimes he didn't get it quite right. But the coal, Satsuma and walnut were a touching attempt at giving him a little tradition in a world that no longer stuck to the rules. And he was grateful.

The next present that he reached for was square and slim. It resembled a book which confused Ianto. Jack knew that Ianto loved books and that they were one of the few luxuries he allowed himself, but their taste in reading material was notoriously different and after _that_ debacle Jack wouldn't try buying books for him again.

He peeled the tape off the paper slowly, enjoying the build up of anticipation, not knowing quite what was waiting for him. He folded the paper slowly back to reveal a leather book cover. He let the paper fall and turned the book over in his hands. It was a journal, bound in leather, but a simple dark brown hide with no ostentation about it except the initials IJ pressed into the front. A leather chord ran around the book to fasten it shut, but was currently untied.

Ianto opened the book. There, scrawled across the front page in Jack's unmistakable writing, was a message; '_This time this is the last time I'll open this without your permission.'_

He grinned. Nice thought, but he didn't believe it. Jack's sense of curiosity was far too strong.

The last present was a larger box. Ianto weighed it up in his hands before he opened it. Then pulling the paper off he opened a non-descript cardboard box inside. He pulled out two matt metal objects that looked familiar, but like nothing he had seen before.

Turning the first one over in his hands he suddenly realised what it was. It was a small hand coffee bean grinder. On closer inspection it collapsed down on itself to make it compact enough to slip into a pocket. He grinned and picked up the second item. It was a basic cafitierre; just a metal tube with a lid that contained the press which would probably hold enough coffee for one cup. It also collapsed down through a sequence of twists and folds to also become pocket sized.

Ianto had a feeling that the technology wasn't all Earth sources and knew that Jack must have pulled some strings to get it made. Just for him.

He folded all the spent wrapping paper up and put it in a pile to get rid of later and he arranged his presents back around the bottom of the tree.

Ianto sat back, leaning on the sofa and looked at his watch. Immediately he realised he had left it by the bed. He glanced over at the shelf above his desk where he kept a clock. He wrinkled his brow. Something was off, something was missing.

A small smile played on his lips and a warmth he hadn't expected filled his body. Yesterday Gwen had given him a copy of a picture she had taken of him and Jack in the Hub. She had surprised them in a relaxed moment while they had shared a joke, laughter on both their faces as they looked at each other.

Ianto had put it on his shelf on a whim, leaning it against a candle stick he had left from another age. The photo was now gone.

And by taking it, Jack had given him the very best present he could.


	17. Past, Present and Future

_**AN:**__ An ickle bit of fluff._

"Is it what you expected?" Jack was looking quietly smug with himself while he stood behind Ianto, watching him look out over a dark horizon that seemed to go on forever.

"No," Ianto replied and sensed Jack's face fall behind him, "It's so much better than I ever imagined."

Ianto turned in time to see Jack's face light up again. "Why have you done this? Why have you brought me here, Jack?"

Jack moved closer to Ianto and turned him back around to face away from him again.

"Look out there Ianto, what do you see?"

"Stars. Just hundreds, thousands, of stars. There's so many and they are so clear. There are whole worlds out here aren't there?"

"More than you can imagine."

Ianto quietened again, lost in thought, grateful that Jack let him.

"Do you think you'll see them all? You, know, one day. I mean, you have forever, you could if you wanted to," he ventured after a while.

"I suppose I could, I haven't really thought about it. The future's a long way away. I'm more concerned with my present."

"But I still don't understand why you brought me here."

"You deserve this Ianto. You've seen some of the worst the universe has to offer and I wanted you to see the true beauty that is out here. And we can stay as long as you like."

Ianto gazed again at the sight before him and took a deep breath. "It's beautiful Jack, but this is _your_ past and _your_ future. My present is at home, in Cardiff. And that's where my future is too." He paused for a moment, weighing up the wisdom of his next question. "Do you see any of your future in Cardiff, Jack?"

Jack slid his hands onto Ianto's shoulders. "I see a very happy future in Cardiff, Ianto."


End file.
